Ahmedabad Houzz: A Glass, Concrete & Steel House in the Midst of Nature

This two-storey home is enveloped by green surroundings

Houzz India Contributor. Nine years ago, I jumped into the world of freelance writing. It combines my love for this art form and the ability to carve my own path. I have extensive experience in content development and creative writing predominantly in the fields of design, décor, interiors, architecture, travel, food, lifestyle, art and culture. My work has been published in Lifestyle Asia India, Houzz India, Elle India, Elle Decor India, India Design ID, Lonely Planet Magazine India, Conde Nast Traveller India, Square Inch by Ogaan Media and Beautiful Homes, among others.
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Houzz India Contributor. Nine years ago, I jumped into the world of freelance writing.... More

When Ashish Kesurvala, principal architect and founder, S A K Designs, was tasked with designing this expansive home in Ahmedabad, what struck him was the abundance of greenery in the surrounding area. Taking full advantage of the lush neem trees that enwrap the plot, he came up with a design plan that featured a material palette of glass, concrete and steel. To complement this, a neutral colour palette of stark white, soothing greys and warm wood, accented with a few splashes of colour, was chosen for the interiors.

The public areas of this two-storey home, such as the kitchen, living, dining and family rooms, occupy the ground floor and the private spaces, including the bedrooms, cover the first floor. These rooms flank central passages on both floors and face either north or south, looking out to expansive views.

“We created an entry to the house that took advantage of the abundance of greenery around,” says Kesurvala. The front door opens into a glass-encased foyer and overlooks a green courtyard. The material palette for the entire home consists mainly of exposed concrete, steel and aluminium and glass windows.

The foyer leads to a central passage overlooking a green courtyard, separated by glass walls. The living room, dining area and the kitchen are connected to this passage. From the kitchen, one can see into the family room that is directly opposite the central passage.

Glass has been used to partition areas and maintain a visual connection throughout most of the ground floor. Wooden plank shuttering has been given the texture of exposed concrete and used on the ceiling in the passage. This also continues inside to the walls and ceiling of the family room.

The raw-concrete staircase with wooden cladding is a natural extension of the design.

“The most interesting room for us is the formal living space,” Kesurvala says. The steel-framed glass window structure wraps around three sides and connects to the garden and outdoor deck. A wooden battened ceiling and wood-finish tiled floors lend warmth to the space. A life-size Horse Lamp from Moooi makes quite an impact from one corner of the space.

The wooden battened ceiling from the living room extends to the partially covered outdoor deck. Letting the green surroundings do all the talking, the deck is bare, save for outdoor furniture in aluminium and beige waterproof fabric.

The family room is situated on the other side of the central passage and looks out to the front garden. Part of the room is clad in wooden plank shuttering with the texture of exposed concrete. Enhancing this grey-and-white colour scheme are the houndstooth-pattern seating and custom-made geometric wooden coffee table.“The minimal colour palette and contemporary decor has been offset with a dramatic ceiling light fixture and a textured grey rug from Hands,” says Kesurvala.

Across the central passage, separated by glass partitions, is the dining room. “A solid-wood dining table has been paired with Italian chairs with leather upholstery and a side unit of wood with brass details,” he says. A wood-finish accent wall partitions the dining room from the kitchen.

“The expansive open-plan modular kitchen has been kept relatively simple, with a large island taking centre stage,” Kesurvala says. The island is covered in the same marble that is used on the floors, which allows the large structure to blend into the room while the dusky blue cabinetry adds a hint of colour. Above the island hang three wire-frame pendant lights. One entire wall houses a closed storage unit clad in wood-finish veneer, with niches for appliances.

The staircase dominates the ground floor central passage. It is cast in RCC (reinforced cement concrete), with its treads and risers clad in wood. “The standout feature is a minimal wood-clad metal railing that is suspended from the ceiling,” he says.

The staircase leads to a long corridor on the first floor, which connects the master bedroom, the kids’ bedroom and, at one end, a reading room. On the opposite end, a spiral staircase leads to the terrace.

“We kept the wall bare, save for a few artworks picked up from BoConcept. We did not want to steal focus from the double-height glass front which faces north, flooding the space with indirect sunlight during the day,” he says. The ceiling features a wood-clad section that mirrors the wooden staircase directly below.

In the master bedroom, flanking the clean-lined headboard are two mirrored bedside tables topped by glass pendant lights that add a little drama to the otherwise muted space. The grey circular rug with pockets of pale pink subtly demarcates this nook in the foreground from the sleeping area.

Diffused light filters through a skylight, illuminating the concrete-finish wall in the ensuite bathroom. A wooden ladder shelf painted a darker charcoal grey stands out, while the monochromatic palette is given a boost with a brown accent wall of square mosaic tiles.

The kids’ bedroom, which is predominantly white, radiates a fresh, vital vibe thanks to its combination with splashes of colour – yellow in niches and along the bed frame, blues and greens on the cushions and last, but not least, the verdant views framed by the windows. A patchwork-upholstered DSW chair replica breaks the monotony of the blocks of solid colour in the study corner.

Mirroring the room’s décor, the vibrant yellow vanity in the attached bathroom lifts up the cool grey of the tile clad walls and floors. Streamlined chrome fixtures and sanitaryware add to the contemporary feel.

Heading back out to the first floor corridor, at one end is another sculptural staircase that leads to the terrace. The white steel spiral staircase displays a slim wooden railing and open risers. The minimal structure that evokes an art installation was designed to visually expand the small space.